GiftTRAP Review

Guest Author - Lynn Little

Players: 3-8
Ages: Teen-Adult

GiftTRAP is a board game that will really test your giving skills as well as reveal if friends really know what kind of gifts you like to receive. The game is for 3-8 players. The game board features nine spaces in the center and two outside tracks on the board. One is the 'give' track and one is the 'get' track. You have two playing pieces: one for each track. To win the game you will have to be the first player to have both of your pieces in the finish box.

There are four different stacks of gifts that are separated by color. Each color represents a different dollar value for gifts. Players take turns choosing a stack of gifts to lay on the nine squares. Lay one card for each player and then one extra - so if you have five players then lay 6 gift cards onto the board. There are some adult gifts scattered throughout the cards. The game comes with a holder that players can put these cards in if they do not want these cards used in the game.

Each player has give pieces. They have a total of nine with each one representing a spot on the board. You give players gifts by giving them one one of these pieces that represent the gift you are giving. Next, each player has four tokens to rate the gifts on the board. Place those on the board. Obviously if there are six gifts on the board then you can't rank all of the gifts. Once all tokens have been placed, the revealing of gifts begins with the dealer.

The dealer turns over one of the cards of the gifts he's received. Then he reveals his ranking of gifts with his tokens. If the gift matches one of his tokens, he moves that many spaces on the get track. The player giving the gift then moves their give pawn on the 'give' track.

If you match the top gift of a player then you move 3 spaces. The next token is worth two spaces. the third is worth 1 space. The worst gift token will move you back four spaces. For advance play, there are strategy cards that can be played each turn. One card will double the giving score of one gift. One card doubles the getting score of a gift. One card is the GiftTRAP. A player shouts "GiftTrap" then places the card onto a gift card they wish to block. From this point forward in the round, no one can score further from that gift. Players who have already scored from that particular gift keep their scoring.

GiftTRAP comes in a beautiful cube that is decorated with many photos. All game pieces are housed in a matching sachet. The game itself makes a nice gift. Playing the game can really give insight into what to give people as gifts. I played with my husband, thinking this would be the easiest way to move on both tracks pretty fast. I learned that I do not know him as well as I thought I did when it comes to buying him gifts. It was an eye-opening experience and a lot of fun at the same time.

GiftTRAP is a great game to play with friends or family. You can easily teach someone to play and play a game in less than an hour. It's probably best to play GiftTRAP with people you know. It'll make the game more fun. It's easy to learn to play and is a lot of fun to mull over the options of gifts. GiftTRAP is a crowd pleaser and can really show you just how well you know the people in your life.

I was given a review copy of GiftTRAP free of charge. The opinions about this game are 100% mine.